


Out of the Mist

by LuckyLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Amnesia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Male Friendship, Post-Canon, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-23 01:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30047820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyLadybug/pseuds/LuckyLadybug
Summary: Kalin and Radley are witness to a bizarre phenomenon: Antinomy's revival. But he remembers nothing except the need to protect Yusei. And Yusei is on his way to Satisfaction Town seeking comfort from Kalin in his grief over losing Bruno.
Kudos: 2





	Out of the Mist

**Author's Note:**

> The characters are not mine and the story is! This was written with the 31 Days prompt from February 25th 2021, Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling, but wasn't finished in time to post there. It takes place very shortly after season 5. It was started long before Duel Links' latest version of the Antinomy event, but once that got underway, it provided much inspiration. This is largely a set-up piece for future stories, so it will leave a lot of mysteries, but the intention is to address those later!

The former Crash Town—now Satisfaction Town—was recovering nicely these days. The buildings had just about all been repaired and the people were thriving. Even the former members of Malcolm's and Radley's crews had settled in and become upstanding citizens.

Radley had never been brutal and cruel like the Malcolm brothers, which was one reason why Kalin had decided to align with him instead of with Malcolm. Radley's time working Malcolm's mines himself, brief though it had been, had shaken him into wanting to turn over a new leaf. That opportunity had first come when he had found West and Nico's father, badly hurt but alive from his plunge into what had looked like a bottomless mine shaft to Kalin and the kids. Radley going for help even while being tortured to death by Malcolm's inhumane shock collar had been how Sector Security had come to find the scene. He had since been pardoned, as had most of the others except for the Malcolm brothers, Barbara, and Malcolm's cruel guards.

Kalin stood on the plateau overlooking the little mining town as the last rays of sun ebbed away and made room for the oncoming twilight. A gentle breeze blew through his hair and flapped against his coat, but he barely noticed. This had been his home for some time now. Satellite had ceased to be his home years ago, but sometimes he wondered if someday he might venture back. Things were different now that it had reconnected with New Domino City. It was a dream come true that Kalin would like to witness.

He still wondered, however, if he would really be welcome. Yusei, Jack, and Crow would want him back, but maybe other residents of Satellite wouldn't be so forgiving. He had fought for their freedom long ago as the leader of the Enforcers, but he had been willing to sacrifice the entire island once the evil of the Dark Signers had corrupted him. It was hard for him to believe that everyone could forget that.

He looked down at his arm. He was the only one of the Enforcers who wasn't a Signer. That was just as well; the Crimson Dragon no doubt didn't want such a tainted soul to be one of the world's protectors. He had been staying out of the way because of that, but the recent reports of the bizarre Ark Cradle over New Domino City had deeply concerned him. If it wasn't for fearing that he would have done more harm than good when he wasn't a Signer, he would have gone to help.

"Are you thinking about your friends again?"

He turned at the sound of Radley's voice. Apparently he had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the other man scaling the plateau and coming over to him.

"Yes, I am," Kalin admitted.

Radley walked past him, half-turning to look at him over his shoulder. "Do you want to go back?" he asked. His voice was quiet and he sounded somewhat sad, maybe even dreading the answer.

"I'm just wondering what would happen if I did," Kalin said.

Radley sighed. "You've done everything here you set out to do—cleaned up the town, watched over Jordan and myself until we healed, saw to it that those kids have a better future. . . . You don't need to stay here now, if you want to go. . . ."

"It's my home," Kalin frowned.

"And you never miss what you left behind?" Radley folded his arms.

". . . I do," Kalin admitted. "But it's like Jack said—those times are over. We've all moved on. It was good having the Enforcers back together again, even just for one day and night. But each of us has chosen a new path now." Now he gave Radley a dry look. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Radley laughed. "Hardly. The town started getting better once you came here." He sobered again. "I just want to know you're satisfied. I know I'm no substitute for your old friends."

"Radley . . ." Kalin turned to look at him in surprise. "No, no one can substitute for another person. But you don't have to try. You're my friend just as Yusei, Jack, and Crow are, and I need and want you around just like I do them."

Now it was Radley's turn to be surprised. Kalin wasn't usually that candid. "Then . . . what's wrong?" he asked. "I can tell something is."

Kalin hesitated. ". . . Everything's peaceful now, but it seems like something else always goes wrong sooner or later. The next time it does, I'd like to go help, but I'm not a Signer. Without that magic, I might be more of a hindrance than a help."

Radley frowned. "I never know what to think when you start talking about magic," he said. "I mean, I know it's real, unfortunately, but I don't want to just rely on it. That one kid, though, the boy. He's always tagging along and helping out and he hasn't got any magic, has he?"

". . . No, he hasn't," Kalin realized. "Unless something happened on that latest mystery."

"So go help out the next time something happens," Radley encouraged. "They can always use a good Duelist. I'll hold the fort down here while you're gone."

Sometimes it still seemed strange to Kalin that Radley actually was responsible and trustworthy enough that he could indeed do as suggested. But the man had honestly come to want to make good, and after Kalin's own experiences, he certainly hadn't felt it right to deny him. By now they really were good friends and often talked things over as they were doing now. Kalin had scarcely ever had that. He hadn't been the open type during the days of the Enforcers. Oh, he had been great at ranting, and planning, but not so much at opening up and calmly talking. Later he had closed himself off almost completely. Both Yusei and Radley had wanted to talk and Kalin had turned them down. Now that he was seeing things so much differently, that had changed.

Kalin turned to face Radley. "Maybe I'll do that," he said.

Radley nodded. "You have people who would welcome you back. That isn't a small thing. My family is still immovable. If they don't care when I'm dead, they never will."

Kalin sighed. He hadn't wanted to tell Radley, but the doctor had located his family the night he had saved Jordan and paid for it. The family's response had been that the doctor could do whatever he wanted or felt necessary for Radley, but they wouldn't come to him or even pay for it. Whatever mess he had gotten into was his own fault and they wouldn't be party to it.

Kalin wanted to believe that maybe only one member of Radley's family had felt so coldly and they had elected to speak for everyone else without telling them, but he couldn't know for sure. Radley had later admitted that the doctor had told him in private what had happened, and although he had tried to be strong, Kalin had seen how he had been desperately hurting.

Kalin could relate to having uncaring family members. Unlike Yusei, Jack, and Crow, Kalin hadn't been an orphan and hadn't grown up at Martha's. He rather wished he had. His mother had run off to parts unknown and his father had always been in a bad mood, hating the life of living in Satellite when he had known what Domino City had been like before Zero Reverse. He had often taken his feelings out on his son. Kalin had gone home as little as possible and eventually had stopped going there at all. He had no idea if his father was even still alive. He wasn't even sure he cared.

A strange shimmering in the sky suddenly caught both of their attention.

"What the . . . ?!" Radley came closer, staring at the gossamer particles descending from the atmosphere. "What is this?!"

Kalin had no answers. He could only stare as the particles reached the plateau and the same gentle breeze caught them, spinning them around until they formed a person with wild blue hair. He opened stunned gray eyes, raising his hands to stare at them as though not quite believing what had just happened.

Radley was not taking it well. "Did we just see a boy form out of dust?!" he half-screamed, gripping Kalin's shoulder.

"Something like that." Kalin was still staring. "Who are you?!"

The boy raised his gray eyes to look at Kalin, still seeming in disbelief himself at what had just happened. "Antinomy," he said slowly. "Only . . . why do I feel like I have another name? . . ." He ran his hands down his chest. "And I shouldn't still exist. . . ." He thrust out a hand. "Can you feel this?!"

Radley wasn't about to touch him, but Kalin agreeably reached and grasped a shaking, warm hand. "Yes," he said. "You're solid."

"I burned up in a black hole," Antinomy said slowly.

By now Radley looked like he wanted to carefully ease away from the weirdness and flee back to the safety and logic of Satisfaction Town. Only his concern for Kalin kept him planted there. "No one can survive that," he objected.

"We don't really know what happens inside black holes or where they go," Kalin mused. He folded his arms. "What else do you know about yourself?"

Antinomy fell silent, thinking, and then frowned, shaking his head. "I . . . I don't remember anything else," he stammered. "It's like a veil over my mind, except for one thing. Yusei . . . I have to protect Yusei. . . ."

Kalin went stiff. "You know Yusei?!"

"He just said that, didn't he?" Radley quipped.

"You know him?" Antinomy returned, suddenly very alert.

"Yes, we do," Kalin said. "He's one of my oldest friends."

Antinomy stared out at Crash Town without really seeing it. "I have to protect him," he repeated again.

"Well, he's not here to protect," Kalin said. "He's in New Domino City."

"Actually . . ." Radley's attention was focused on the distance. "I see someone on a red Duel Runner. Unless I miss my guess, Yusei's coming here to see you."

Kalin started. ". . . Then I'd better get down to meet him," he said.

Antinomy was already starting for the edge. "I need to get to him!"

Kalin held out an arm to hold him back. "Wait on that for now," he said. "I'd like to talk to Yusei first before springing this on him. It doesn't look like he needs any protecting yet."

". . . I guess not," Antinomy said, but he still didn't look pleased.

"Radley, can you show Antinomy around for a while?" Kalin asked.

Radley stiffened to be put on the spot. "I don't . . . alright, Kalin." He sighed. "For you, I will."

Kalin smirked a bit. "Good." He laid a hand on Radley's shoulder before heading down the mountain.

Yusei was coming in fast. It definitely was him; Kalin recognized the Duel Runner and the rider's helmet. As he pulled up to a stop in front of Kalin and removed his helmet, Kalin was struck by the sorrow in his old friend's eyes. "Yusei," he said in surprise.

"Hey, Kalin," Yusei said quietly.

"What's wrong?!" Kalin exclaimed.

"I . . ." Yusei took a deep breath. "I lost someone close to me. It's been pretty rough lately and I . . . I needed to talk with someone about it."

Kalin paled. "Not Jack or Crow . . . ?!"

"No," Yusei quickly assured him. "It's a long story, though. . . ."

"Well, then come home with me," Kalin offered. "We'll talk there."

Yusei smiled a bit. "Okay."

Kalin led Yusei down the streets of Crash Town while Yusei pushed his Duel Runner so they could talk. "How's everyone else?" Kalin asked.

"They're all okay," Yusei said. "They've all gone their own ways, though. Everyone had a different dream, and none of them were in New Domino City."

Kalin stopped walking and turned to him with a concerned frown. "You're all alone?!"

"I'm still living at Zora's, so she's there," Yusei said. "Trudge is still in town. So is Carly. But Team 5Ds . . . yeah, I'm the only one in town now." He couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice. "It just got . . . really hard lately."

"It must have, for you to finally admit it," Kalin said.

"Yeah," Yusei said quietly.

They came to a residential house with a large porch. Yusei regarded it in surprised approval and parked at the side next to a non-Duel Runner motorcycle. "Yours?" he asked.

"I have one too, but that one belongs to Radley," Kalin said.

Yusei studied it with a bit of a wistful smile. "You guys live together?"

Kalin nodded. "Originally I moved in just to help him while he recovered. I helped Jordan too, but Nico and West wanted to do most of that and I felt like that was their responsibility and privilege. But when Radley got better, nothing was said about me leaving, so I haven't. He doesn't like being alone, and I have to admit, I don't either."

"The silence can get pretty loud," Yusei said. "Especially after you're used to having people around."

They went inside and sat at the table in the kitchen. Kalin gently pushed aside a vinyl record in a sleeve that Radley had left there the previous night.

Yusei glanced at it. "Rock-and-Roll Heaven?"

"It's Radley's favorite song, or one of them," Kalin said. "He actually referenced it the first time we met, although it didn't dawn on me until later that's what he meant.

"Now, what happened, Yusei?" he asked in concern.

Yusei sighed. "I told you before about Bruno."

Kalin nodded. "I remember. He's into engineering and the two of you hit it off really well." It had been something they had discussed during the long night of keeping vigil over Radley when he had lain in a coma.

A faint, bittersweet smile played on Yusei's features. "Yeah. We really did. Then . . . during that Ark Cradle mess that wrapped up a while ago, he revealed that he was from a post-apocalyptic future and he'd been sent back to protect me and try to fix it. He really was my friend, though. It wasn't just an act. He was good company. And . . . I learned so much about dueling from him." He looked away. "He ended up sacrificing himself to save me."

Kalin went pale. "He did?"

Yusei nodded. ". . . It's been hard ever since then, but when the others were around, I could deal with it and I didn't feel like talking about it. Now that I'm there alone, well . . ." He looked away.

"I'm so sorry, Yusei." Kalin frowned. ". . . I know this will sound bizarre, but . . . when this happened, was there a black hole?"

Yusei started. "Yeah, there was! How did you know?!"

Kalin glanced back out the window. "Because . . . right before you came, something very strange happened. Radley and I were standing on the plateau just outside of town and we saw . . . well, it can only be described as particles falling from the sky and forming into a person. He says his name is Antinomy, but he doesn't remember anything else . . . except that he needs to protect you."

Yusei had gone sheet-white. "Where is he?!" he demanded.

"Radley was going to show him around town," Kalin said. He took out his phone. "I'll tell him to bring him here."

Yusei slumped back in the seat, still pale, trying to work out what was happening in his mind. Bruno was . . . alive? Restored? How? Why? Why did he have amnesia again, this time about almost everything?

Bruno had apparently been one of Z-one's living androids, too. What did that mean? Had he really just had the memories of the "real" Bruno, or had his spirit inhabited the android? For him to be able to be back, did that mean the future hadn't been changed? . . . If the future was changed, would that mean the Bruno Yusei knew would never even exist, since Z-one wouldn't make the androids and send Bruno back to the past?

Yusei brought a hand to his forehead. Too many questions, with too many unsettling answers. He couldn't make himself believe that Bruno would never even exist, and he also couldn't believe the future hadn't changed after everything. Was there possibly another explanation?

"Yusei?!"

Yusei snapped back to the present. Kalin had set the phone down and was regarding him in concern.

"I . . . it's a lot to take in," Yusei said. "There's a lot of confusing time-travel elements to Bruno's past. I can't quite figure out how he's here again, on multiple levels."

"Well, I'm not as good a scientist as you. . . . In fact, I'm not a scientist at all," Kalin added with a dry smirk. "But if you want to run it past me, I'm happy to listen and try to help you sort it out."

And so Yusei explained while Kalin listened, stunned. It was a complicated tale indeed, and Kalin wasn't sure what to make of it at all. But there was one thing he felt he could help with.

"I don't know how to answer any of your questions, Yusei," he said at the conclusion. "But you say Bruno turned out to be some kind of android. I'm pretty sure what Radley and I saw was a flesh-and-blood person."

Yusei shook his head. "These androids are incredibly life-like. They look like flesh-and-blood people, they have organic functions like eating, and they even have memories and emotions and feelings. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they actually have souls. After being around more than one of them a lot, I don't see how they couldn't."

"Well, that's a philosophical area I'm not qualified in," Kalin admitted. "All I can say is it didn't look like an android being reconstructed. Not that it looked like anything else I've ever seen either."

The front door opened and Radley came in, accompanied by someone Yusei knew so well and thought he would never see again. He leaped from the table. "Bruno!"

The look he received was confused but kind. "I . . . is that my other name? I'm Antinomy. . . ."

"You're Bruno to me," Yusei insisted. "You taught me about dueling and you were our mechanic! Don't you remember anything? Jack or Crow or Akiza or Luna and Leo?!"

"I . . . I remember you," Antinomy said slowly. "I remember I have to protect you. But . . . I'm sorry, I don't remember anyone or anything else."

Yusei sighed sadly but was undaunted. "Okay then. Right now you're alive and that's good enough for me." He smiled. "We'll get your memories back. That's a promise."

Radley looked like he wondered how Yusei could make such a promise. But Kalin just smiled. When Yusei put his mind to something, it got done. Antinomy would remember in time. Kalin knew it.

****

Yusei and Antinomy stayed on for the rest of that night, at Kalin's invitation. By morning they were ready to head back to New Domino City, for more reasons than one. Yesterday Yusei had made some emails and some calls, and today they were all coming to fruition.

"Everyone's coming back to try to help Bruno remember," he told Kalin. "Luna and Leo found they missed New Domino City too much anyway and have been trying to get their parents to come home with them. A friend being in trouble finally got them to agree. Jack and Crow will be there too."

"And Akiza?" Kalin asked.

"It's a little harder for her to get away from her studies, but she's making arrangements to at least visit," Yusei said. He looked happy now. "Team 5Ds will really be back together again, at least for a while."

"I'm so happy for you, Yusei," Kalin smiled.

"You should really come visit us sometimes," Yusei said. "You live so close. The town looks great, and I'm sure you could get away for a few days. Or even just come on a day trip."

Kalin nodded. "I've been wanting to," he admitted. "I'm just not sure if the Satellite would want me after . . . what I did. . . ."

"Kalin . . ." Yusei looked sincerely at his old friend. "I get why you're worried, but I promise things would be alright. Carly and Misty have been doing fine; the people don't rail against them."

"Well . . . maybe I will then," Kalin said. "Thanks, Yusei."

Yusei smiled. "Anytime." He paused. "I came out here looking for comfort from grief and companionship in loneliness. You gave me all of that, and so much more."

Kalin gave a bit of a smirk. "If you believed in destiny, I'd tell you that there must have been a reason why Antinomy came back in Crash Town. He could have been restored anywhere, but it was here. Do you think it was just coincidence?"

Yusei paused. "I don't know what it was," he admitted. "And there's still a lot of questions about him coming back at all. But right now, the most important thing is getting his memories back."

"I know you will," Kalin told him.

Yusei smiled. They clasped hands for a long moment before he headed out.

Kalin was standing by the window and watching him and Antinomy drive off when Radley came into the room. "There's so many things we don't know about why Antinomy has been allowed back," Kalin remarked. He hadn't turned, but he had heard Radley enter. "How was he yesterday?"

"He didn't ever remember anything," Radley said. "He was nice enough, but confused. And he seemed to be obsessed with protecting Yusei."

Kalin sighed. "I know Yusei will bring his memories back sooner or later, but what I don't know is if all the things he wondered about will end up being a problem later or not. He has some legitimate worries, such as how can Bruno be in this time period at all if the future has been changed? Wouldn't changing the future mean that Bruno never comes back here at all?"

"That's too deep for me," Radley said. "But how much do any of us really know about time-travel? And in this situation, it sounds like there are a lot of other variables on top of that. The only thing I really know for sure is . . . I was dead, and now I'm alive again. And we saw the same thing happen to Antinomy. Well, a different method, but the same principle. It was terrifying at the time, but . . . maybe there's nothing sinister or ominous about it, just like there wasn't when it was me."

"I hope not," Kalin said. "I don't know if Yusei could handle losing him again." He turned away from the window. "After I give them some time to settle in, I think I will go for a visit."

Radley's eyes flickered with surprise. "I think you should."

Kalin smiled at him. "And I will come back," he promised.

Radley smiled back. "I know."


End file.
